Christoph - Senior System Development Consultant, Customer Service

"I work as a Senior System Development Consultant in SimCorp Central Europe, but I am currently on a short term assignment in SimCorp UK, working in our Customer Service Development team."

Christoph Heermann - Senior System Development Consultant, with SimCorp since May 2004

I started working in the German Customer Service Group in 2004, when I worked with a banking group. A year into my career I started doing Operative Accounting Management for three of our clients. After three years I made my first job rotation to a development department namely the Fund Accounting Group in Germany in order to get insight into programming and knowledge about the whole development process, with the hope of being able to join SimCorp's New International Specialist Team. This actually became a reality.

I thought it was really interesting and close to mind blowing to switch from a position as consultant to one within development, and to be able to see what was underneath the system's surface.

The New International Specialist Team has the intention to do what I always wanted to do: Not only to service the clients by doing analysis from a consulting point of view, but also to directly trace and solve problems within the code. That was my key driver when I started working at SimCorp, so it turned out to be the perfect job.

How was your start at SimCorp?

I found it really, really easy to start working at SimCorp because a lot of my colleagues had a similar educational backgrounds. I studied Applied Mathematics at the university, so we more or less spoke the same "language". Besides there was always a helping hand. Now I’m a tutor for some of our new colleagues, so I hope I can give them the same great experience. I think that one of the most important values we have is focus on performing together, and that we try to educate each other no matter what department one comes from.

The best thing about working in SimCorp is the attitude of the employees, and their ability to work as a team. Everybody is aware of the fact that it makes no sense collecting knowledge if you are not going to share it. Our culture is about distributing information in order to improve. If you have a problem with something you have never seen before, and you have no experience in a certain area, then you will always find someone who can back you up.

How is the work-life balance?

It has never been a problem to bring my private life in line with my job. For instance, if I need a day off or have to attend to a private appointment at some time during the day, we always find a way to make that possible. We believe in flexibility that goes both ways - and in an environment where it is my own decision to do extra hours, not because I’m told to, but because I like it and it is part of my drive to solve the problem, I am happy to go that extra mile.

How is SimCorp’s position on the market?

I know for a fact that our focus on helping our clients is foremost on the agenda. We have long-term relationship with our clients, and are really committed to getting our product up and running. We have so much more to offer than just to sell a product: we have our clients' interests and needs at heart.